Finding God's Purpose for Your Life

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)

• How can we please God? By believing and obeying the written word of God. How about these two commandments in the Bible?

Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Joel 1:14 (ESV)


Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)


You want to obey God’s word but which of these two opposite instructions should apply to you right now? We can grow in wisdom through Bible study but even that is not enough.

• Perhaps it is the job of pastors to decide what applies to a particular congregation in every situation. My experience has taught me that this is a dangerously unreliable way of knowing the will of God.

What does the Bible say?


Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

• So how can we understand the times and seasons of God’s purposes? How can you know what is right for you right now?

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13 (NKJV)

• The Holy Spirit speaks to preachers and prophets to guide the people but all preachers sometimes get it wrong. Even when preachers get it right, they speak to the crowd and different individuals need different guidance direct from God.
• It is essential that EVERY believer is personally led by the Holy Spirit.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14 (ESV)

• So if you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you can confidently expect the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally in a way that you can understand. If this is not your experience, you can ask God to lead you into this experience and He has promised to answer your prayer.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5 (ESV)


My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)

• The word PASTOR means SHEPHERD. Following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, may often involve working under the guidance of a pastor. But it can be a serious mistake if you only do this. Pastors make mistakes but Jesus the Good Shepherd never makes a mistake. Pastors usually want the best for their people but no one KNOWS you like Jesus knows you.
• Jesus has placed potential in you that only HE can see. Sometimes God uses a pastor to recognise your potential and to help realise that potential but not always.

God has placed a heavenly deposit in your life and He wants a return on His investment, to bless you and to make you a blessing. Only the Holy Spirit knows how to lead you in the secret ways of God to fulfil His divine purpose in your life. ONLY the Holy Spirit knows.

• Your first loyalty is not to your church or your pastor. Your first loyalty is to the Holy Spirit

I thank God for the help I have received from preachers and other mentors along the way but most of all for Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit.